


much the same

by egare



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Once I eventually write more, Slytherin Kids Aren’t Evil They’re Twelve, Vampires, oneshots, what is ‘canon’
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-08
Updated: 2018-11-22
Packaged: 2019-05-04 04:48:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14585292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/egare/pseuds/egare
Summary: Blaise Zabini is a vampire. Surprisingly, nothing changes much.





	1. Chapter 1

There were plenty of odd conversations that Professor Remus Lupin had accidentally listened in on, as his students filed into his class, finishing up their conversations before their peers came. Seventh years talking about failed growth charms, others talking about their summer plans that consisted of bizarre trips or equally bizarre relatives. Odd dreams of Dumbledore in drag, rumors of duels used to resolve sexual tension, every conversation that Remus could- and some he didn’t wish to- imagine, he heard the tail end of. Some conversations were amusing, others enlightening, and every now and again, one made him pause.

“-only started shrieking again this year, and only on full moons. It’s obviously him!”

His blood ran cold. Remus watched as three Slytherins walked into the classroom, deep in conversation, and was it just him or were they studying their professor for a bit longer than usual? Theodore had given him a nod, Tracey soon after him, and Daphne had turned her nose up before turning her eyes back to Theo’s theory. The usual responses. Everything was normal, it was fine.

Five minutes until class started, as punctual as usual. The third year Slytherins never admitted that they came to class early simply to sit and converse, always bringing a new and interesting topic up; this had happened since the first class in September, them talking about Daphne’s sister’s new massive yet realistic portrait of the 1473 Transylvanian Quidditch team Captain Vladimir Ursu, “Yes, the one that released the bats”. They always denied their early arrival when it was brought up, saying that they only arrived a few seconds before the rest of the crowd. This time around, the usual quarter had dwindled down to three, Blaise Zabini and his sarcastic quips missing from the conversation.

“So let me get this straight.” Tracey set her bag down on the lowner left corner of the desks the quartet had claimed, looking toward her friend. “You think Sirius Black is a werewolf and is trying to make an entirely Gryffindor clan by kidnapping them and saving them for the full moon.”

It seemed his worry was unnecessary, and he let out a silent breath of relief.

“Don’t forget the part where he presents the clan to You-Know-Who when he’s done.” Daphne added dryly, amused with the whole situation.

“But why is he only going for Gryffindors?” Tracey questioned, trying to find reason in her friend’s theory. Theodore seemed utterly too prepared to answer, clearing his throat and reciting it to his classmates.

“The Ravenclaws are too smart to fall for his kidnapping plans and the Hufflepuffs are too nice to be effective Death Eaters. And Slytherin is protected, so there’s only Gryffindor left.”

Now the girls groaned, and Remus couldn’t stop the small bemused smile that grew at their responses, curious to see where this theory was going.

“You’ve read too many muggle books, Theo.” Tracey chided, shaking her head. “There’s no connection between vampires and werewolves, and he isn’t afraid of Snape because our Head of House _isn’t a vampire_.”

Theo scoffed, shaking his head, “Their hatred has to be based off of something.” The three looked up when the door opened, revealing their fourth friend. If he hadn’t been the only one entering, Remus would not have noticed the slight differences to his appearance- he seemed to be tired, his head still held high though his shoulders more tense than usual. His tie was slightly off center, something that was usual for Theodore, yes, but never for Blaise.

“Good morning, professor.”

“Good morning, Mr. Zabini,” was Remus’ response, turning his eyes back to the paper in front of him as Blaise leaned against his and Theo’s desk, aware by now of their seating arrangement.

“Blaise, isn’t it true that vampires hate werewolves?” The pale boy asked in greeting, making his friend pause in his removal of his parchment. There was a moment of tension before Blaise let out a sigh, almost sounding disappointed.

“Snape doesn’t have a hatred of Sirius Black because he’s a werewolf, he hates Sirius Black because he murdered twelve people.”

Theo scoffed, ignoring it, and Remus couldn’t help it as his smile grew wider, imagining the batlike figure of the potions professor and seeing how multiple students could come to such a conclusion. Snape was rather pale, and wasn’t seen nearly enough times in the Great Hall during meals. Not to forget his tendency to hang out in dungeons, ever since he was a student here himself.

“What do you think, professor?” Remus looked up, and it seemed as if Theo mistook his surprise for confusion as he clarified, “Do vampires and werewolves really hate each other?”

“There is no indication that, as a whole species, either feels one particular way for the other.” His mind went back to an earlier time, in the first war, where he had been sent alongside a few older members to ensure it was remaining a simply-wizard conflict; the vampire covens they had spoken to did not seem particularly threatening, and Remus figured that they weren’t able to automatically tell what he was, just as he wouldn’t have known they were anything other than wizards if he hadn’t been given context.

“He gave us the professor-answer, it doesn’t count.” was Theo’s response to the amused looks of his friends. Daphne rolled her eyes, sitting down in her seat as the first students began trickling into the room.

“Who would win in a fight?” Tracey smacked her friend upside the head for Blaise, shaking her head as he complained that there was no need for violence, and that he would stop asking questions. There was a pause of silence between the four, before the other Slytherin boy stated with a wicked grin,

“A vampire, obviously.”

This was one of the few times the questions had trickled into classtime; the lessons were simply from the book this time, a quieter session than others, and it gave the boys plenty of time to quip back and forth.

“The Killing Curse?”

“Works.”

“Blood Pops?”

“Probably need a few.”

“Mr. Nott, Mr. Zabini.” Remus called out in warning, making the two quiet down for a few minutes and return to work. The peace didn’t last, however, as Theo continued his questioning, fixating on the topic.

“Sunlight?”

“Like a bad rash.”

“Reproduction?”

Blaise gave him a look that reminded Remus of McGonagall’s disappointment toward Sirius and James, and Theodore seemed to understand his mistake, laughing and turning his eyes back to his work. The defense professor let out a thankful breath, happy to not have to warn them again or dock points just for a boy’s curiosity.

“Would a werewolf bite-?”

“Shut up, Theo!” Tracey hissed from behind the two, swatting him with a quill. The three involved all looked up to their professor, the tips of Theodore’s ears turning pink in embarrassment when he realized that Remus had been paying attention the entire time. Conversations were put on hold until the end of class, where the professor was able to hear a whispered,

“Bats?”

“Patronus, not animagus.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Well Anthony Goldstein can suck my-“ Remus’ breath caught.

“Millie!” The outraged gasp of one Pansy Parkinson cut her off, and Remus let out a sigh of relief, returning to his work.

The usual quartet that came in early had cut in half, the two boys gone and replaced by Pansy and Millicent; both girls looked equally annoyed at being in class so early. Daphne seemed the most invested in the other two girls’ moods compared to her friend, who was preoccupied with something else and looked more distracted than bored. Brown hair was pulled up messily, and the bags under her eyes suggested that getting extra sleep was not the reason behind her disheveled appearance. She noticed his gaze on him and pulled herself together quickly, offering a simple,

“Good morning, professor.” Without fail, one of the four greeted him whenever they came into class. A flicker of annoyance crossed Pansy’s face at Tracey conversing with him, so he simply gave a nod in return, not offering a conversation to make sure things remained calm. Millicent was going on a tirade to the amusement and support of her friends, and by the end of her rant Lupin had to wonder if it was considered being a bystander to a crime if he didn’t warn Goldstein about the Slytherin girls’ plans for him.

“He took Corrina Murk instead of Millie!” Pansy defended as Tracey voiced worry for their plans, “Not only is that girl as weird as her older sister, but she’s a liar, and probably going to be held back next year because she’s dumb as a-“

“It’s not Murk’s fault for Goldstein being awful.” Daphne piped up, her first time speaking since they entered the room. The other girls quieted down for a moment, considering her statement.

“I mean, she should have known.” accused Pansy; but her tone did not have as much bite as it did before, as she began to understand where Daphne was coming from. Hesitantly, Tracey offered,

“We can still take all his clothes when he goes to take a shower, yeah?”

The other girls all murmured between each other, nodding in agreement with the suggestion.

“He still needs to know that he can’t joke about Hogsmeade like that!” Millicent nodded, inspired by Tracey’s suggestion as she started to unpack her quill and well.

The clock ticked to three minutes til, and the other two had yet to arrive. Lupin waited for a lull in the conversation before clearing his throat, looking toward Daphne. She shifted under his gaze and scowled, but tilted her head to the side, showing that she was willing to listen to his question.

“Are Misters Nott and Zabini sick?”

The reaction was instantaneous, as Tracey flinched; Daphne’s expression turned stoic and she nodded, but their responses did not quite assuage his concern as he gave a hum of gratitude and turned back to his work. Grading quizzes from the fifth years. He could focus on it for the next few minutes until the other children started coming in. But their reactions kept lingering in the back of his head, even as Crabbe and Goyle entered, Malfoy a few seconds after them still tucking his tie into his sweater. Nott entered right when class began, not giving Remus enough time to question him without it being suspicious.

“Is he…?” Tracey leaned over, but Theodore waved her silent question away, muttering a small, “Later.”

The class passed slowly, students jittery at the idea of snow outside and Remus himself anxious about the upcoming full moon- five days, enough for him to start being unable to stand still. He was as excitable as the kids, and ended the lesson a few minutes early once everyone realized they wouldn’t be able to properly learn anything with their pent up energy. But as the crowd of students startled to trickle down to a few, he called out, requesting for Theodore to stay behind. He paused, tension visible in his shoulders as he turned and offered a stiff smile.

“Of course, professor.” As the rest of the class left- Tracey had thrown a glance back, concerned- Theodore sat against the frontmost desk, looking toward Lupin’s. “Is this about me coming in late? Because I-“

Remus laughed, shaking his head. “No, no, you were right on time. You just looked a bit… in your own world, today. I wanted to make sure everything was okay.”

“Oh.” Theodore realized belatedly that Lupin expected a reply, and stuttered out, “O-Oh, yeah, I’m fine. Blaise and I were just working on my essay for Potions last night and woke up a bit… late.”

Even the Slytherin could tell his lie was not very believable as it ended rather lamely, but he stuck to it, not wanting to give up the truth. Remus met his eyes for a brief moment and watched his student squirm under the professor’s gaze, before offering a smile and a nod.

“Very well. If you could tell Mister Zabini about the homework assigned…?”

“‘Course, professor.” Theo got up from against the desk and looked at Lupin rather expectantly, wanting to be excused. With a wave Remus let him leave, but as the Slytherin neared the door, he called out,

“Theodore?” He paused at the door for the second time that day, saying nothing. “If there is anything you would like to talk about, my door is always open.”

Nott seemed to consider it. Remus could see the hesitance in his stance, a young boy wanting nothing more than to get help for his dilemma; yet he said nothing on the topic, simply giving a nod. “I… have a nice day, professor.”

Remus sagged in his seat as the door shut quietly behind the Slytherin, and he ran a hand over his face, sighing. He recognized the look of a boy with a secret that was weighing on him, and wanted nothing more than to help; yet the quiet acceptance that he would have to face whatever it was alone was equally as recognizable. The carefree attitude of Blaise and Theodore had been waning for the past few days, and now one of them did not even show up for class….

A knock at the door made him look up, and he called out that it was unlocked, standing as it was opened.  
  
“Severus, hello.” He smiled cheerfully in his greeting, but the look did not quite reach his eyes; fatigue was slowly beginning to outweigh his usual demeanor, and he said nothing as the potion was placed on his desk with a slight _clink._ He decided to deal with it quickly, downing the wolfsbane in one go and giving a slight grimace as the taste hit his tongue. “Never gets any better.”

Snape seemed amused as Remus attempted to clear his throat and cough, rubbing his chest before asking, “How are you?”

“My morning has become… exponentially more amusing, after that.” He replied, the sides of his mouth turning up fractionally. Lupin did not let it get to him, waving the half-insult away with a laugh. Yet his laugh died off, as he was reminded of the morning.

“How are your students?”

Severus paused for a moment, meeting Remus’ eyes before understanding hit him and he responded. “If you are referring to Mister Zabini, he is simply sick.”

“So you’ve seen him?”

A moment of silence. “I have… been told of his current state.”

“By Mister Nott.” It wasn’t a question. Remus closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. “I hate to distrust a student, but I cannot bring myself to not be suspicious of the two of them. I am worried they are getting into trouble they cannot deal with.”

“In case it escaped your notice, Lupin, they’re thirteen years old. Exactly how much trouble can two children get into?”

“Harry Potter. Hermione Granger. Ron Weasley.”

The grimace on Severus’ face was enough of a reply. “I will look into the two of them.”

“Four, actually. Tracey Davis and Daphne Greengrass seem to know something as well.”

“…an interesting group.” Severus knew a bit about the obvious groupings of his Slytherins. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle with the occasional visit from Parkinson. Farley, Warrington, and Lee. Blaise and Daphne, he understood- they were upperclass, raised in neutral pureblood families. Zabini occasionally spent time with Malfoy, as well; it wasn’t exactly friendship, Severus had decided when he had first seen them. It was a sort of camaraderie, a semblance of support and even allegiance between Draco and Blaise that spanned events both academic and social, an acceptance of each others’ presence for mutual benefits.

On the other hand, Tracey and Theodore were two Slytherins that were far too gentle to be snakes. They had both been ridiculed as first years, called weak, fragile. It had gotten to the point that a Prefect had been considering to get involved, with how badly they were being treated, but Tracey had broken Marcus Flint’s nose and gotten Peeves to hide his wand in the girls’ bathroom before any authority had to be involved; Theodore had been left alone by association. He knew vaguely about the story of how Blaise had taken Nott under his wing, and how the two of them had formed the oddest friendship, but the four of them forming a group?

“I believe that every student should have a certain amount of independence and privacy,” Remus continued, “but I’m... concerned about them, Severus. It’s no secret that some professors do not keep as close of an eye on the Slytherins, as much as other Houses.” He admitted in a moment of complete seriousness, all too aware of the bias toward certain Houses. There weren’t enough Slytherin professors for the adults at Hogwarts to care strictly about their own House’s students, Remus knew that not. “Yet I can only do so much as a professor who’s been here for three months.”

Snape seemed surprised at the admission but schooled his emotions quickly, giving a firm nod. “I will... look into it.”

“That’s all I ask. Thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tldr: remus thinks something is up and severus sets aside his hatred for him for .2 seconds because being Slytherin Dad > rivalry


End file.
